Can opener



March 16 1926.

J. c. TRUESDELL cm OPENER Filed March 16,1923

Patented Mar. 16 1926.

TEES Parent JAY cTRuEsnELL, on JAMAICA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORTO enonen 0. GRIDLEY,

OF SPRINGFIELD,

MASSACHUSETTS,

CAN OPENER.

Application filed March 16, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AY C. TRUnsDnLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jav maica, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can Openers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

The present invention relates to devices for cutting sheet metal articles and more particularly to such devices employed for opening sealed metallic containers by severing a portion from the container.

The object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved form of can opener which will cut the can rapidly and easily and in such a manner that the result ant opening is substantially co-extensive withthe inner area of the can. v

' lVith this object in view one feature of the invention contemplates the provision of a cutting member adapted to enter the side wall of the container in proximity to the top, together with means for engaging and gripping the container along the junction of the top and side wall to hold the can and permit relative movement of the can and cutting member and sever the can top.

A further feature of the invention contemplates the provision of two jointed members, one of the members being provided with cooperating gripping devices to engage and grip the can and the second member being provided with a cutting device which is adapted to enter upon movement of the two parts of the member into alinement and to'sever the can upon a relative bodily movement of the two jointed members.

Still further features of the invention consist in certain novel features of construc tion, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention Fig. 1 represents a plan view of the improved can opener in operative positionv upon a can; Fig; 2 is a detail illustrating a view of the cutting member and support taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a Serial No. 625,496.

embodiment of the invention is particularly adapted for opening the conventional form of can by a complete removal of the top. This is accomplished throughthe provision of two jointed members pivoted together at one end and adapted to progressively cut the wall of the can through relative movements of the jointed members toward and from one another. One of the jointed members is provided with cooperating gripping devices adapted to engage and .grip the edge of the can top upon movement of the two portions of the member into alinement and the second member is provided with a cutting blade mounted upon one part which is ca'usedto pierce the wall of the can below the top upon movement of the two parts of the member into substantial alinement. After the two parts of the jointed members have been moved into substantial alinement, as indicated in Fig. 1, a relative movement of the members toward oneanother progresslvely cuts the wall of the can below the top. Thereafter the members may be separated to engage with the can at a new point and again brought together to continue the cutting, this operation being repeated until the can top has been substantially completely severed from the body. It will be evident that by severing the top in this manner an opening is provided substantially co-extensive with the interior area of the can which permits the contents of the can to be emptied intact. Furthermore the 9 arrangement of the cutting edge is such that the wall of the can along the edge of the cut is turned outwardly, leaving a smooth opening free from sharp or ragged edges which would tend to obstruct the emptying of the can.

Upon referring to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the can opener comprises two jointed members indicated generally at 10 and 11, which are pivotally connected at 14. The member 10 comprises a stamping 16 havingpivot receiving openings 18 and 19 formed in opposite ends and having an integral lug 20 intermediate the ends, which constitutes one of the cooperating gripper members. A. second stamping; 2'2 is provided with a handle portion Qdand witl'i a log 26 which cooperates with the lug 20 to form the complete gripping; device. It will be observed that the gripping face 25% ot the lug 26 is longer than the face of the big 2!) in order to project dowmvari'lly along the side of the cam the gripping; tnce of the big: 520 being; znlapted to engage with the inner side of the bead termed at the innetion of the top and side wall' The stau'ipinggs forming: the two parts oi the member 1.0 are pivotall c connected at ill) in sueh a manner that n: *ment of the two parts into substantial :ilinenient ("loses the eoopeiatino: gripping jaws and lifl'lllly clamps the head 32. The member ll rompr a stamping l and a second sinmping -32 having: a ln'indie portion M and providiril adjacent the pivot connection it; with a cutting: blade i" Tl 's cutting blade as indicated in Figs. 1 and is provided with a pointed. end 50 and a cuts ting edge 52 3, the blade being; arranged in sueh a manner that inmement ot the two portionr-i ot the member l1 into alinement causes the pointed end so oi? the ending; blade to initially pierre the side wall ot the eanbelow the top and project into the can in substantially the manner shown in di'itted lines in Fig. 1. lVith the two gripping: members engaging; and clamping the bead upon the top of the can and the entti member projecting within the wall oil the can as indicated a relative bodily movement of the two members about the pivot lei severs the side all of the can below the top. 'llhereatter the members are separated to cause the gripping devices to engage with the ran at an odvanee point and again brought together to continue the out, this operation being repeated until the out has progressed about the entire periphery of the (ran. It will be obvious that with this con strnction the can top is severed by a series of scissors'lihe movements progressing about the top. The position of the can opener a whole remains substantially stationary and the can is bodily revolved through the movements of. the member to ard the member ll. From an inspection of Fig. it it will he observed that the cutting edge 59 is inclined with respect to that. portion ot the can engaged thereby so that the Willi. of the can is cut by 1 sheering movement; and in addition is turned outwardly, :lorminn a smooth inner snrtace.

I claim 1.1m apparatus oi the class described comprising two jointed levers pivoted to- ;naiher adfiicent their inner ends, cooperatii gripping members carried. by one of the hn'ers and :ulapted to engage a container at the junelion ot the top and side wall, and a cutting blade carried by the cooperatin n lever and :nlapted to pierce the side nil oil the container below the top upon movement 0 l the two porn-1 ot the lever into elinemeut and to sever the side well upon relative bodily movcmient ot the lovers about the pivotal commotion.

An amiaratns ot the class described comprising a two-part member, a gripping device carried. by each port of the member, the gripping; devices being adapted to ioncontainer upon movement; of the two parts of the lever into alinement, a second two-part momliier pivotnll v connected to the first member, and a cutting blade carried by one part; of the member and adapted to be :lorred tl'lrough the well of: the container upon movelnoi'it of the two parts of the member into alinement.

JAY G. TRUESDELL. 

